Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Chris O'Dowd, Lizzy Caplan, Nora Dunn, Whitney Cummings, Ron Perlman, Chris Noth, Sam Anderson
Director: Jordan Roberts
Genre: Comedy
Rating: B
Frankie (Hunnam) has always been the focus of two things: his brother's pranks and his brother's films. These pranks have lead to some disastrous results, notably when he became a Youtube sensation following a disastrous incident at what was supposed to be his wedding. Wedding called off, Frankie withdrew to the desert and did his best to cut off all ties with his family. That is, until his brother, Bruce (O'Dowd), is released from rehab and his parents (Dunn and Anderson) insist that Frankie come to the reunion. Bruce has decided that he wants to become a director, and his favourite person to focus on is his brother. Frankie wants no part in it, but when he finds out that Bruce secretly filmed an encounter that Frankie had with Lassie (Caplan), Frankie must embark on a journey to regain his dignity.
This journey is what makes this film absolutely awesome, as Frankie comes up repeatedly against the not exactly sane people that inhabit his brother's world - notably rather deranged actor Jack (Noth), and the transsexual Phiyllis (Perlman). Each character in this film is really a character - most of them you suspect might be mentally unstable and a good portion of them who you really hope aren't supposed to be realistic depictions of people, even if some of them do kind of remind you of people you know - and their actions are both hilarious and infuriating at the same time. It's very easy to relate with Hunnam's character because the events that happen to him are in a way so clear cut that it's hard not to be mad at Bruce. At the same time, however, once you write Bruce off as not all there mentally it becomes easier to try to make allowances for his behaviour, even when he crosses the line - which he does multiple times.
The thing that I really liked about 3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom was just how unconventional it is. It addresses issues that, while you might see addressed normally, don't get touched on to the great length that Frankie touches on them. I mean, it's a movie that combines the power of the internet and viral videos with hidden sex tapes and erectile dysfunction. And on top of all that it also has this great love story underneath it. You never really care about most of the characters in this film - you aren't rooting for Bruce or Jack or Phiyllis - but there isn't any addition to it that could have been done away with. You are rooting for Frankie and Lassie, and they need Bruce, Jack, and Phiyllis in order to make their story work. Plus, you can't go wrong with Ron Perlman as a transsexual.
No comments:
Post a Comment